DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (AP) — Taliban commanders say a Pakistani militant linked to a number of high-profile attacks has been killed in a joint Afghan-US special forces operation in eastern Afghanistan.

Three Taliban commanders said Sunday that Qari Ajmal was killed in Afghanistan's Paktika province. They said the operation started at midnight and lasted till early Saturday morning. They spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.

Ajmal, a leader of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangi, was wanted for major attacks, notably one on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009 that killed six police and wounded seven players.

Paktika police chief Gen. Khalil Ziayee confirms the operation, saying one militant was killed and three arrested, giving no further details.

Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland, the U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan, confirms an operation in Paktika.